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By 27 July 2021, the British winter rapeseed harvest was approximately 9 per cent complete, according to the first harvest progress report of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). Rapeseed crops have been slow to mature, delaying the harvest. In terms of harvest progress, the 2021 harvest is currently the second slowest since 2014. Also, the area of land to be harvested, 315,000 hectares, is 17 per cent smaller than a year earlier.

Based on early yield indications, the AHDB puts the average yield of the 2021 winter rapeseed harvest in the range of 30-34 decitonnes per hectare, which is close to the long-term average of 33 decitonnes per hectare. This is as much as 19 per cent higher than the previous year’s weak 27 decitonnes per hectare. Oil content is assessed in the range of 43-45 per cent. Drying has not been required due to the high temperatures in Eastern England.

The 2021 rapeseed harvest is estimated at 1.1 million tonnes, which would be only marginally up on the previous year’s volume. In other words, extensive imports will once again be required for the 2021/22 marketing year, because domestic consumption (estimated at 1.6 million tonnes) could reach the long-term average of just less than 2 million tonnes. Consequently, the level of self-sufficiency is set to remain at the low level of 66 per cent. This compares to 100 per cent in the period from 2016 to 2018.